Car-coupling



(No Modem I'. R. BUTTBRFIELD.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 327,066. Paten-ted Septl 29, 1885.

IIIIIIWM. x

N, PETERS. Pholuxhogmpnsr. wuhington, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FINLEY R. BUTTERFIELD, OF CONCORD, NEV HAMPSHIRE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 327,066, datedSeptember 29, 1885.

Application tiled July 13, 1F85.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FINLEY R. BUTTER- FIELD@ citizen ofthe UnitedStates, residing at Concord, in the county of Merrimac and State ofN ewHampshire,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticCar-Couplings, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to improvements in hinged automatic car-couplers.

Heretofore in automatic car-couplings in which a laterally-projectingjaw is used at the outer end of the draw-bar, and adapted to movelaterally to effect a coupling, and in which the head or that portioncomprising the jaw is hinged to the draw-bar, so as to drop in order touncouple,the hinge has been formed some distance back of said jaw and ator near the vertical center of said drawbar, thus requiring more or lessslack to uncouple.

The object of the present invention is, first, to provide an automaticcoupler which avoids the above difficulty by changing the location ot'the hinge; and, second, to provide a coupler which may be disconnectedby the forward movement'of an engine whenever desired.

My invention consists, first, of the peculiar construction ofthedraw-head and its combination with the draw-bar.

My invention consists, further, in the relative location of the hinge tothe uniting surfaces of the draw-bar and its head, the former being oneinch (more or less) below the draw-bar, and two inches (more or less)back of the point of union of the draw-bar with its head.

My invention further consists of a latchlever located on top of thedraw-bar, and adapted to fall into a suitable slot in the top of thedraw-head automatically when said draw-head closes onto the draw-bar.

My invention further consists of an arm projecting downward from thatportion of the draw-head in which is formed the hinge, and to abalance-weight secured thereon, for the purpose of returning thedraw-head to its normal position after it has been unconpled.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a side elevation of my improved automatic coupler (No modul.)

having its rear end broken away, a portion of the rear part of alocomotive-tender, and the loop by which the coupler is hung to saidtender. Fig. 2is a vertical longitudinal sectional elevation of thereverse side of the uniting parts of my improved draw-bar and draw-head.Fig. 3 is a general plan of the draw-bar complete resting upon a loop bywhich it may be secured to a car. Fig. 4 is a front end view. Fig. 5 isthe reverse end view of the draw-head as when detached from thedraw-bar. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the Vtop plate of the draw-head. Fig.7 is a peri spective view of the hinge end of the drawbar.

In the several views like letters of reference indicate correspondingparts.

The draw-bar A is composed of side plates, c a, instead of top andbottom plates which it has been the custom to use in the construction ofthis class of draw-bar up to the present day. These plates may beseparated by tubular castings,through which the rivets are passed in theordinary manner, except at the front end,where a suitable casting, B,must be interposed. This will be riveted, as seen in the drawings.

A draw-head, C, may be forged in one piece, or it may be composed of topand bottom wrought-iron plates, D D', and an interposing casting, E, andriveted together, as shown. Upon the bottom plate, D', is provided anarm, d, of proper width to lit between the side plates of the draw-barA. This arm extends back far enough to permit of its being hinged to theears c', which are formed upon the side plates, a a., of the draw-bar,by means of the pin F, which passes through a hole in both said ears andthe arm d.

On the outer end of the arm d is mounted -a balance-weight, H, which maybe narrow enough to pass up between the side plates of the draw-bar, asshown best in Fig. 3.

On the top of the draw-bar A, and near the front end thereof, therightangled lever G is fnlcrnmed by the pin g to the side plates, da, asseen in Figs. l, 2, and 3. The short end g of this lever is bent over,as seen best in Fig. 2, thus forming a hook or latch which fits a slot,d', formed in the top D of the draw-head. The longer part g2 of thelever G extends ver- VIOO tically three feet, more or less, in orderthat it may be operated conveniently by the hand of a brakeman; and whenthis improved drawbar is applied to a locomotive-tender, as seen in thedrawings, the vertical end of this lever will pass up through the openpart of a rigid buffer, I, bolted to the rear end of said tender.

t may be here mentioned that in order to lessen the weight of the hingedhead C as much as possible it is constructed so as to measureconsiderably less from top to bottom l to t between the side plates, aa,of the drawbar, as seen best in Fig. 3.

A hole, X, is provided in the top and bottom plates, D D', of thedraw-head C, to insert a couplingpin when itis desired to couple to acar having an old-fashioned draw-bar requiring a link.

For retaining the latch-lever g in the slot d a pressure-spring may beapplied back of the hand-levergr2 and secured to the draw-bar, or thecasting B may be cut away on one side and a spiral, K, be inserted, andits lower end secured therein, the upper end being fastened to thelatch-lever g, as seen in Fig. 2.

Having described the construction of my improved automatic coupler, Iwill proceed to describe its operation.

When an engine or car is coupled to a train, and it is required todisconnect the saine, the long vertical arm g`Z of the lever G is pusheda few inches, which requires little or no power. This causes the latchpart g of the lever G to rise out of the slot d, formed in thedraw-head. Then the signal is given to the engineer to start ahead, whenthe drawbar of the adjacent car will force the drawhead C down, andconsequently the weight II up, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. l. Thebrakernan meanwhile removes his hand from the lever g2, and when thedraw-head of the adjacent car shall have freed itself' from thedraw-head C, the latter ywill gradually swing back to the position shownin full lines in Fig. l, and in scvdoing raise the latch-lever g', byreason of the bevel edge of the pro jection d2 of the draw-head C, andthat of the said latch g', as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings,when my improved draw head will again be ready to couple automaticallywith a car.

Two or more hangers or loops, J, may be used for supporting the draw-barunderneath a car, and a suitable spring applied to either side of saiddraw-bar for holding it to its work in the ordinary manner.

By dividing the draw-head from the draw bar on a transverse line, Y, atthe intersection of the jaw, and forming the hinge slightly at the rearof said dividing-line and below the bottom of said draw-bar, saiddrawhead when swung down will readily clear draw-heads 'of adjacentcars, even though they may be set lower.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

l. In an automatic car-coupling in which the draw-head is connected tothe draw-bar by a hinge, the combination, with said drawbar, of a drawhead composed of top and bottom wrought-iron plates, and an interveningcasting secured by rivets, an arm extend ing below and formed upon saidbottom plate, in which the hinge is made, and a suitable balance-weightsecured to said arm below said hinge, all constructed and operatingsubstantially as set forth.

2. In an automatic car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-bar, of ahinged drawhead, separable on a transverse line at the intersection ofthe jaw, and hinged to said bar underneath and slightly back of saiddividingline, and means, as described, whereby said draw-head isreturned automatically after being uncoupled, and retained in a positionto again couple with a car, substantially as set forth.

3. In an automatic car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-bar, of ahinged drawhead separable on a transverse line at the intersection ofthe jaw, and hinged to said bar slightly below the bottom thereof, anddirectly underneath said dividing-line, a right-angled lever fulcrumedto the top of said draw-bar, the horizontal part of said lever servingas a latch for locking the draw-head to the drawbar and the verticalpart as a handle, by which said latch is operated, and a suitable springfor retaining said lever in its normal position, substantially as andfor the purpose before specied. v

4. In an automatic carfcoupling, thecombination,withadraw-barcomposedofwroughtiron side-plates having earsprojecting downward near theforward end thereof, and separated bycastings and tubes, all secured together by rivets, of a draw-headhaving an arm projecting from the bottom thereof, iitting between saidears on the draw-bar, and

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hinged thereto, and mechanism, as described,

whereby said draw-head is returned automatically after being uncoupledfrom a car, and retained in a position to again couple with a car,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FINLEY R. BUTTERFIELD.

'Vitnessesz J. B. THURsToN, S. L. SAWTELLE.

